PSY Exam 3 (Ch. 11, 12, 14, 15)

importance of communication

critical ingredient contributing to performance enhancement, play a key role in achieving personal growth

communication is used for many purposes

persuasion, evaluation, information, motivation, problem solving

all communication contains ________ (what is said) as well as __________ (how we felt about the person’s message) information

content and relational

the process of communication

decision to send message

encoding message

channel message to receiver

decoding of message by receiver

internal response by the receiver to the message

interpersonal communication

at least two people in meaningful exchange

intrapersonal communication

self talk, the communication we have with ourselves intrapersonal communication or internal dialogue affects motivation and behavior

tips for improving communication

• identify own communication style

• always acknowledge greetings of others

• be empathetic or sensitive to the feelings of others

• explain why you are doing what you are doing

• clearly convey your expectations

• use a positive approach

• be clear and concise when communication

• help students learn to listen

• encourage questions

• keep confrontations private

• be open and honest

• be aware of nonverbal communication

nonverbal communication components

physical appearance, posture, gesture, body position, touching, facial expressions, voice characteristics

how much communication is conveyed through nonverbal communication

50 to 70%

Asking questions versus telling

shifts responsibility for learning from instructor to recipient, increases recipient’s awareness or understanding, recipient more motivated to act

the GROW model of communication

goal (what do you want), reality (where are you now), options (what could you do), will (what will you do)

guidelines for sending messages

• be direct

• own your message

• be complete and specific

• be clear and concise

• state your needs and feelings clearly

• separate fact from opinion

• focus on one thing at a time

• deliver messages immediately

• make sure your message does not contain a hidden agenda

• be supportive

• be consistent with nonverbal communication

• reinforce with repetition

• make youe message appropriate to the receiver’s frame of reference

• look for feedback indicating message was accurately interpreted

six Cs of communication

clear, concise, courteous, correct, complete, constructive

electronic communication

can lead to a variety of performance related and lifestyle problems

components of receiving messages effectively

active listening, supportive listening, aware listening, empathy and caring

active listening

ask questions, paraphrase, attend to main and supporting ideas, acknowledge and respond, give appropriate feedback, and pay attention to the speaker’s total communication (verbal and nonverbal)

keys to active listening

• mentally prepare to listen

• don’t mistake hearing for listening

• paraphrase what the speaker said

supportive listening

communicate that you are with the speaker and value his or her messages

keys to supportive listening

• use supportive behaviors as you listen

• use confirming behaviors as you listen

• use both verbal and nonverbal listening behaviors

aware listening

realize that people react individually or differently to the way you communicate

keys to aware listening

• be flexible

• be alert for barriers and breakdown in communication

empathy

person’s ability to perceive, recognize, and understand the feelings, behaviors, intentions and attitudes of others; empathy is an important prerequisite to effective communication

ways to improve the accuracy of coaches empathy

gather information, avoid bias, maintain appropriate levels of empathy, be reflective

the importance of care

the more an athlete, exerciser, or student feels that the individuals who teach and mentor them care the better the communication

create a caring climate

situation perceived as interpersonally inviting, safe, supportive, and capable of providing the experience of being valued and respected

barriers to effective communication

• receiver not paying attention to the sender

• receiver’s tendency to evaluate and judge the communication

• lack of trust between the individuals attempting to communicate

• differences in socialization and heredity, causing misinterpretations between the sender and receiver

• differences in the mind set or perception between people

• embarrassment (creates interference)

• tendency to tell people what they want to hear

• difficulties in expression or reluctance to communicate

• belief that silence is safer

• inconsistency between actions and words

• message screening by assistants for efficiency

sender failures

poorly transmitted messages (ambiguity, inconsistency)

receiver failures

failure to listen carefully (misinterpretation)

benefits of communication training

• improved team morale

• better cohesion

• enhanced performance

communication to improve coordination

• use multiple sensory modes (drawing on whiteboard, showing a video, providing a written handbook)

• use redundancy

• use an enduring representation (supplement verbal instructions with handouts, recordings, videos)

• explain why

• enhance team members’ listening skills

  • encourage use of HEAR principles (head up, eyes front, attend fully, remain silent)

• encourage questions

• check that plans are received

COMPASS method guidelines for maintaining coach-athlete relationships

conflict management (proactive strategies), openness, motivation to make interaction enjoyable, positivity, advice, support, social networks

over ______ of athletes and staff preparing for a major international competition reported experiencing some sort of conflict

80%

what can lead to confrontation

interpersonal conflict

how can we avoid breakdowns that prevent effective communication

active and supportive listening

confrontation

a face to face discussion among people in conflict

although confrontation is often seen as negative

when properly used it is a part of effective communication

components of the interpersonal conflict in sport model

antecedents/ determinants of conflict, nature of the conflict, consequences

what are the antecedents/ determinants of conflict

intrapersonal, interpersonal, and external factors

what are the different natures of a conflict

cognitive, emotional, behavioral, duration, intensity, frequency

consequences of sport conflict

intrapersonal, interpersonal, performance

conflict prevention strategies for interpersonal conflict in sport model

• have an open door policy

• set common goals

• establish rapport

• foster team cohesion

• establish common expectations

• facilitate stable communication patterns

conflict management strategies for interpersonal conflict in sport model

• establish and maintain open lines of communication

• learn to detect conflict in the early stages before it escalates

• have structured meetings with neutral facilitators to mediate conflict

individual communication styles and managing conflict types

competing, collaborating, compromising, accommodating, avoiding

competing

dominating, best used when decisive action is necessary and the best outcome is sought for the person making the decision

collaborating

integrating, effective when both parties have positive contributions to make to solve the problem

compromising

effective when time is short and one needs a quick solution or an interim step toward resolving a more complex issue

accommodating

involves people viewing relationships with others as more important than satisfying their own needs

avoiding

used either to ignore the conflict and hope it goes away or as a deliberate strategy to control the situation

when should you avoid confrontation

when you are angry

when should you use confrontation

when you are in control, can express your feelings constructively, and have a well-thought- out reason for doing so

assumptions for approaching confrontation

• all parties’ needs are legitimate and should be attended to

• there are enough resources to meet all needs

• in every individual lies untapped power and capacity, and people in conflict know what they need

• process is as important as content because it provides direction and focus

• improvising situation is different from solving problems

• everyone is right from his or her own perspective

• solutions and resolutions are temporary states of balance and are not absolute or timeless

what are the Dos when initiating confrontation

• convey that you value your relationship with the person

• go slowly and think about what you want to communicate

• try to understand the other person’s position

• listen carefully to what the other person is trying to communicate

Don’t when initialing confrontation

• communicate the solution (focus on the problem)

• stop communicating

• use put-downs

• rely on nonverbal hints to communicate your thoughts

key factors in the coach-athlete relationship

closeness, co-orientation, complementarity

closeness

emotional tone that coaches and athletes experience (liking, trust and respect)

co-orientation

common frame of reference; shared goals, values, and expectation (open communication facilitates the development of it)

complementarity

type of interactions in which the coach and athlete are engaged (reflects coaches and athletes act of cooperation)

sandwich approach to constructive criticism

a positive statement, future orientated instruction, a compliment

sending messages effectively

• make verbal messages clear and concise

• pick the right time and place to deliver verbal messages

• enhance trust with the person receiving the message to ensure verbal messages are appropriately interpreted

• physical appearance, posture, and gestures are important components of nonverbal messages

• do not underestimate the importance of nonverbal communication

• considerations for nonverbal components of messages: body position, touching, facial expression, and voice characteristics

• be direct

psychological skills training (PST)

systematic and consistent practice of mental or psychological skills for the purpose of enhancing performance, increasing enjoyment or achieving greater self-satisfaction

Why is PST important?

• athletes feel that psychological factors primarily account for day to day fluctuations in performance

• traditionally athletes spend little time training and practicing psychological skills

mental toughness

athlete’s ability to focus, rebound from failure, cope with pressure, and persist in the face of adversity, form of mental resilience

what makes up mental toughness

motivation, dealing with pressure, confidence and concentration

attributes of mental toughness were employed when

before (goal setting), during (coping with pressure), after competition ( handling failure)

4C model of mental toughness

control, commitment, challenge, confidence

control

handling many things at once and remaining influential rather than controlled

commitment

being deeply involved with pursuing goals despite difficulties

challenge

perceiving potential threats as opportunities for personal growth and thriving in constantly changing environments

confidence

maintaining self-belief in spite of setbacks

factors not deliberately taught

sibling rivalries, supportive parents, coach expectations, motivational training environment, teammate encouragement, tough practices

factors deliberately taught

creating a positive motivational practice environment, intense competitive practices, creating simulations (pressure), setting specific goals, providing instructional and supportive feedback, building confidence through rigorous physical preparation and conditioning, enhancing attentional control through self-statements, making appropriate attributions for success and failure

although mental toughness is typically perceived as desirable or position quality

some evidence suggest that it can lead to injury or overtraining, or avoid seeking mental health counseling

why are psychological skills neglected

• lack of knowledge and comfort with teaching mental skills

• misunderstandings about psychological skills

• lack of time

PST myths

• for problem athletes only

• for eliter training only

• provides quick fix solutions

• not useful

PST for intellectual disabilities

• development of trust and rapport

• consults works with individual’s level of understanding

• soliciting help

• instructions kept simple

• skills broken down to smaller components

• sessions should be fun and enjoyable

PTS for physical disabilities

• ensure accessible venues

• working with athletes using wheelchairs, communicate at their level

• be patient with verbal communication

  • speak directly to athlete

• be careful of temperature of the room

keys to understand PST

• be realistic in their expectations PST

• must be learned, practiced and integrated into a person’s daily routine

how do elite athletes differ from less successful ones?

higher confidence, greater self-regulation of arousal, better communication, positive thoughts and images, more determination or commitment

most useful PST topics

arousal regulation, imagery and mental preparation, confidence building, increased motivation and commitment, attention or concentration, self-talk, mental plans, imagery

PST interventions must be

individualized, employed systematically over time, multimodal (combining psychological skills such as imagery, self-talk, and goal setting

three phases of PST

education, acquisition, practice

education phase

• psychological skills taught and learned

• participants recognize how important it is to acquire PST and how the skills affect performance

In the education phase, how do you increase awareness of mental skills

green light = flow

yellow light = caution or refocus

red light = real trouble and need to major coping

acquisition phase

focus on strategies and techniques, tailor training to individual, provide general information to group, psychological skills learned and practiced

practice phase

psychological skills progress from practices and simulations to actual competitions, focuses on automating skills through overlearning, integrating psychological skills, and simulating the skills you want to apply, log books help athletes chart progress and provide feedback for improvement

how can physical educator use psychological skills

use relaxation training to teach a hyperactive child to calm down

how can a physical therapist or athletic trainer use psychological skills

use goal setting to maintain motivation for an individual out with a serious, prolonged injury

how can a fitness instructor use psychological skills

use positive self-statement to enhance self-esteem in a client who is overweight

what is the ultimate goal of PST

self-regulation

self-regulation

ability to work toward one’s short and long term goals by effectively monitoring and managing one’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors

Kirschenbaum’s five-stage model of self regulation

stage 1: problem identification

stage 2: commitment

stage 3: execution

stage 4: environmental management

stage 5: generalization

major technologies in sport psych

virtual reality, eye tracking

who should conduct PST?

sport psychologists and coaches

need to recognize limits, recognize potential conflicts of interest when coached implement programs

when should you implement PST

in the off season when there is more time

how long should psychological training last

10 to 15 minutes a day, three to five days a week

when is the best time to one’s career to engage in mental training

continue throughout athlete’s sport participation